January 2010

Library lovers, unite: this month is your month. And since it’s your month, you can decide how to celebrate it. Of course, if you need a starting point, you can always…

Organize a sleepover at your local library. With the library’s permission, gather up a group of friends and advertise the sleepover. Have book lovers bring their favorite sleeping bag and bookmark for an all-night read-a-thon. Bonus: make it a fundraiser for the library by charging an admission fee or having people get pledges for pages read.

Write a love letter to the library, or your favorite librarian. Make it heartfelt, expressing how much you appreciate the library—or, if you know the person well, make it as silly as you like. Embellish it with plenty of lace, red ribbon, and other Valentine-y decorations.

The world lost one of its greatest English-language writers today. J.D. Salinger, an author who was as famous for his reclusive nature as for his unique approach to literature, died today at the age of 91. Salinger passed away of natural causes in his New Hampshire home where he spent the majority of the last several decades. Though his contributions to book shelves all around the world were few, his mark is nonetheless indelible.